fix(sdk): Remove SlidingSyncInner::past_positions.

The patch #2395 has
introduced `SlidingSyncInner::past_positions` as a mechanism to filter
duplicated responses. It was a problem because the sliding sync `ops`
could easily create corrupted states if they were applied more than
once.

Since #3664, `ops`
are ignored.

Now, `past_positions` create a problem with the sliding sync native
implementation inside Synapse because `pos` can stay the same between
multiple responses.

While `past_positions` was helpful to fix bugs in the past, it's no
longer necessary today. Moreover, it breaks an invariant about `pos`: we
must consider it as a blackbox. It means we must ignore if a `pos` value
has been received in the past or not. This invariant has been broken for
good reasons, but it now creates new issues.

This patch removes `past_positions`, along with the associated code
(like `Error::ResponseAlreadyReceived` for example).

crates/matrix-sdk/src/sliding_sync/builder.rs

@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 use std::{
     collections::BTreeMap,
     fmt::Debug,
-    num::NonZeroUsize,
     sync::{Arc, RwLock as StdRwLock},
     time::Duration,
 };
 
 use matrix_sdk_base::sliding_sync::http;
-use matrix_sdk_common::{ring_buffer::RingBuffer, timer};
+use matrix_sdk_common::timer;
 use ruma::OwnedRoomId;
 use tokio::sync::{broadcast::channel, Mutex as AsyncMutex, RwLock as AsyncRwLock};
 use url::Url;
@@ -285,8 +284,6 @@ impl SlidingSyncBuilder {
             rooms,
 
             position: Arc::new(AsyncMutex::new(SlidingSyncPositionMarkers { pos })),
-            // SAFETY: `unwrap` is safe because 20 is not zero.
-            past_positions: StdRwLock::new(RingBuffer::new(NonZeroUsize::new(20).unwrap())),
 
             sticky: StdRwLock::new(SlidingSyncStickyManager::new(
                 SlidingSyncStickyParameters::new(

crates/matrix-sdk/src/sliding_sync/error.rs

@@ -13,14 +13,6 @@ pub enum Error {
     #[error("The sliding sync response could not be handled: {0}")]
     BadResponse(String),
 
-    /// The response we've received from the server has already been received in
-    /// the past because it has a `pos` that we have recently seen.
-    #[error("The sliding sync response has already been received: `pos={pos:?}`")]
-    ResponseAlreadyReceived {
-        /// The `pos`ition that has been received.
-        pos: Option<String>,
-    },
-
     /// A `SlidingSyncListRequestGenerator` has been used without having been
     /// initialized. It happens when a response is handled before a request has
     /// been sent. It usually happens when testing.

crates/matrix-sdk/src/sliding_sync/mod.rs

@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ use std::{
 use async_stream::stream;
 use futures_core::stream::Stream;
 pub use matrix_sdk_base::sliding_sync::http;
-use matrix_sdk_common::{ring_buffer::RingBuffer, timer};
+use matrix_sdk_common::timer;
 use ruma::{
     api::{client::error::ErrorKind, OutgoingRequest},
     assign, OwnedEventId, OwnedRoomId, RoomId,
@@ -112,9 +112,6 @@ pub(super) struct SlidingSyncInner {
     /// `position` being updated, before sending a new request.
     position: Arc<AsyncMutex<SlidingSyncPositionMarkers>>,
 
-    /// Past position markers.
-    past_positions: StdRwLock<RingBuffer<SlidingSyncPositionMarkers>>,
-
     /// The lists of this Sliding Sync instance.
     lists: AsyncRwLock<BTreeMap<String, SlidingSyncList>>,
 
@@ -258,23 +255,6 @@ impl SlidingSync {
     ) -> Result<UpdateSummary, crate::Error> {
         let pos = Some(sliding_sync_response.pos.clone());
 
-        {
-            debug!("Update position markers");
-
-            // Look up for this new `pos` in the past position markers.
-            let past_positions = self.inner.past_positions.read().unwrap();
-
-            // The `pos` received by the server has already been received in the past!
-            if past_positions.iter().any(|position| position.pos == pos) {
-                error!(
-                    ?sliding_sync_response,
-                    "Sliding Sync response has ALREADY been handled by the client in the past"
-                );
-
-                return Err(Error::ResponseAlreadyReceived { pos }.into());
-            }
-        }
-
         let must_process_rooms_response = self.must_process_rooms_response().await;
 
         trace!(yes = must_process_rooms_response, "Must process rooms response?");
@@ -425,10 +405,6 @@ impl SlidingSync {
         // Save the new position markers.
         position.pos = pos;
 
-        // Keep this position markers in memory, in case it pops from the server.
-        let mut past_positions = self.inner.past_positions.write().unwrap();
-        past_positions.push(position.clone());
-
         Ok(update_summary)
     }
 
@@ -734,11 +710,6 @@ impl SlidingSync {
                                 yield Ok(updates);
                             }
 
-                            // Here, errors we can safely ignore.
-                            Err(crate::Error::SlidingSync(Error::ResponseAlreadyReceived { .. })) => {
-                                continue;
-                            }
-
                             // Here, errors we **cannot** ignore, and that must stop the sync loop.
                             Err(error) => {
                                 if error.client_api_error_kind() == Some(&ErrorKind::UnknownPos) {
@@ -774,8 +745,8 @@ impl SlidingSync {
 
     /// Expire the current Sliding Sync session.
     ///
-    /// Expiring a Sliding Sync session means: resetting `pos`. It also cleans
-    /// up the `past_positions`, and resets sticky parameters.
+    /// Expiring a Sliding Sync session means: resetting `pos`. It also resets
+    /// sticky parameters.
     ///
     /// This should only be used when it's clear that this session was about to
     /// expire anyways, and should be used only in very specific cases (e.g.
@@ -796,9 +767,6 @@ impl SlidingSync {
                     "couldn't invalidate sliding sync frozen state when expiring session: {err}"
                 );
             }
-
-            let mut past_positions = self.inner.past_positions.write().unwrap();
-            past_positions.clear();
         }
 
         // Force invalidation of all the sticky parameters.
@@ -1471,11 +1439,6 @@ mod tests {
 
             // `pos` has been updated.
             assert_eq!(sliding_sync.inner.position.lock().await.pos, Some("0".to_owned()));
-
-            // `past_positions` has been updated.
-            let past_positions = sliding_sync.inner.past_positions.read().unwrap();
-            assert_eq!(past_positions.len(), 1);
-            assert_eq!(past_positions.get(0).unwrap().pos, Some("0".to_owned()));
         }
 
         // Next request doesn't ask to enable the extension.
@@ -1503,19 +1466,12 @@ mod tests {
 
             // `pos` has been updated.
             assert_eq!(sliding_sync.inner.position.lock().await.pos, Some("1".to_owned()));
-
-            // `past_positions` has been updated.
-            let past_positions = sliding_sync.inner.past_positions.read().unwrap();
-            assert_eq!(past_positions.len(), 2);
-            assert_eq!(past_positions.get(0).unwrap().pos, Some("0".to_owned()));
-            assert_eq!(past_positions.get(1).unwrap().pos, Some("1".to_owned()));
         }
 
-        // Next request isn't successful because it receives an already
+        // Next request is successful despite it receives an already
         // received `pos` from the server.
         {
-            // First response with an already seen `pos`.
-            let _mock_guard1 = Mock::given(SlidingSyncMatcher)
+            let _mock_guard = Mock::given(SlidingSyncMatcher)
                 .respond_with(|request: &Request| {
                     // Repeat the txn_id in the response, if set.
                     let request: PartialRequest = request.body_json().unwrap();
@@ -1529,37 +1485,16 @@ mod tests {
                 .mount_as_scoped(&server)
                 .await;
 
-            // Second response with a new `pos`.
-            let _mock_guard2 = Mock::given(SlidingSyncMatcher)
-                .respond_with(|request: &Request| {
-                    // Repeat the txn_id in the response, if set.
-                    let request: PartialRequest = request.body_json().unwrap();
-
-                    ResponseTemplate::new(200).set_body_json(json!({
-                        "txn_id": request.txn_id,
-                        "pos": "2", // <- new!
-                    }))
-                })
-                .mount_as_scoped(&server)
-                .await;
-
             let next = sync.next().await;
             assert_matches!(next, Some(Ok(_update_summary)));
 
             // `pos` has been updated.
-            assert_eq!(sliding_sync.inner.position.lock().await.pos, Some("2".to_owned()));
-
-            // `past_positions` has been updated.
-            let past_positions = sliding_sync.inner.past_positions.read().unwrap();
-            assert_eq!(past_positions.len(), 3);
-            assert_eq!(past_positions.get(0).unwrap().pos, Some("0".to_owned()));
-            assert_eq!(past_positions.get(1).unwrap().pos, Some("1".to_owned()));
-            assert_eq!(past_positions.get(2).unwrap().pos, Some("2".to_owned()));
+            assert_eq!(sliding_sync.inner.position.lock().await.pos, Some("0".to_owned()));
         }
 
         // Stop responding with successful requests!
         //
-        // When responding with M_UNKNOWN_POS, that regenerates the sticky parameters,
+        // When responding with `M_UNKNOWN_POS`, that regenerates the sticky parameters,
         // so they're reset. It also resets the `pos`.
         {
             let _mock_guard = Mock::given(SlidingSyncMatcher)
@@ -1578,9 +1513,6 @@ mod tests {
             // `pos` has been reset.
             assert!(sliding_sync.inner.position.lock().await.pos.is_none());
 
-            // `past_positions` has been reset.
-            assert!(sliding_sync.inner.past_positions.read().unwrap().is_empty());
-
             // Next request asks to enable the extension again.
             let (request, _, _) =
                 sliding_sync.generate_sync_request(&mut LazyTransactionId::new()).await?;